1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication device and a wireless communication system that perform wireless communication of control data for remotely controlling an external device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, when a surgical operation is performed, a surgical operation system including a plurality of medical device groups in which a medical device corresponding to a purpose is mounted on a cart is used. The medical device group is freely arranged according to the kind of a surgical operation.
During the surgical operation, some of the medical devices are operated through remote control by a remote controller. Many remote controllers transmit control data to the medical devices through infrared communication.
For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2003-245286, a method of increasing an infrared amount through an infrared adapter and transmitting control data to a distant medical device is disclosed.
In Published Japanese Translation No. 2008-519501 of the PCT International Publication, the use of a remote controller using wireless technology (radio waves) of which a communication distance is long is shown.
Also, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H7-147697, a method of preventing a collision by performing wave detection before transmission in communication between remote controllers is disclosed.
With the sophistication of a surgical operation, the number of medical device groups to be simultaneously used is increasing and arrangements of the medical device groups in a wide range are increasing. Further, cases in which image data such as endoscope images is communicated by wireless technology (radio waves) and displayed on monitors of other medical device groups are also increasing. Also, a device such as an electric scalpel, which generates electromagnetic noise in operation, is also frequently used. That is, cases in which the medical device groups are distributed and arranged in a wide range and devices that use radio waves or devices that generate radio waves are used are increasing.